Mama Corleone's Sausage and Peppers

"This dish was inspired by a description in the novel, 'The Godfather.' It is also a favorite with my 'family.' Serve with a crusty bread, a green salad, and a robust dry red wine for a very satisfying meal. The amount of oil and garlic can be adjusted to your taste."

Directions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti, and cook until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain, and set aside.

While the pasta is getting started, slice sausages lengthwise, and remove the casings. Brown sausages in a large skillet over medium-high heat with a drizzle of the olive oil. Remove sausages to a platter, and keep warm in the oven. Add the bell peppers, garlic, oregano and basil to the skillet, and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Saute over medium heat until peppers are tender.

Toss the pepper mixture with the drained spaghetti until well blended, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving platter, and arrange the sausages on the top. Garnish with Italian parsley and Parmesan cheese.

Most Helpful Positive Review

Aug 06, 2010

What fun, Surfwrench! This isn't how I typically make sausage and peppers but I couldn't resist trying this with such a cute and catchy name and I got a kick out of how you came up with the recipe! I used rigatoni rather than spaghetti because I didn't remove the sausage from the casings, so I needed a sturdier pasta. I just cut the links into manageable sections. I added a little red wine and used fresh herbs rather than dried. At the end, I couldn't resist throwing in some chopped, fresh San Marzano tomatoes from my garden. Hubs said he likes the way I usually make sausage and peppers better, but when I reminded him that the whole point was to try something different, he agreed this was very good in its own right! I admit my own Italian bias, but beyond that I have to say you can't go wrong with this recipe - it's delicious!

Most Helpful Critical Review

Oct 02, 2003

I think that Penne pasta would taste better then spaghetti. I should of added more garlic for flavor. It is missing somthing, as far as making it stand out. But it was good. My picky toddler ate most of it and my Itilian husband liked but said the same thing I did about it missing something. But it was pretty good. Will eat it again with the Penne pasta.

I wedge a large yellow onion and saute it with the peppers, and add more garlic, seasoned salt, fresh ground pepper, and a shake of red pepper flakes. There needs to be enough olive oil to coat the pasta well. My two Grandsons like it done with Polish Sausage, too. This is what my Brother-in-law always wants when he comes for dinner. A tossed salad and garlic bread makes a perfect meal.

I tried this one last night and my family LOVED it!! My Italian husband accused me of stealing the recipe from his mother! The only change I made was I added a large can (drained) of diced tomatoes to it. I am definitely saving this one as a family favorite! Thanks for the great recipe!!

Surfwench is my mommy, and this dish is delicious!! I demand that she makes it every time I come over for dinner, and it gets better every time! I just signed up for my own account on allrecipes.com and this is the first recipe I'm adding to my own recipe box : ) Thanks mom!

I've got to be honest, I got major brownie points with my hubby just for texting him that I was making a Godfather-inspired meal for dinner. I did make some changes (2-3 cloves of garlic instead of 1, added a can of drained italian-style diced tomatoes, a splash of red wine, 1 chopped small onion, multi-grain penne instead of spaghetti, and extra sausage cut into bite-sized pieces), but I don't think any of these changed the character of the dish too much. It was tasty and filling, and while he ate, hubby picked up an Italian accent as he told me about movie references to food in The Godfather. I guess that means it was a success - I'll make it again.

This dish was hearty without being "heavy." Such a change of pace from tomato-based pasta dishes. The only thing we did different was to remove the casings completely and cook the sausage crumbled. That way, every inch of the pasta absorbed the sausage flavor. Will make again, and again...and again.

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.